Brass Dial Clocks

Tall-case clock. The hood has a molded broken-scroll pediment terminating in carved rosettes with a central carved basket cartouche, pierced fretwork, a molded arch above the door, free-standing fluted columns at the four corners, and a glazed door with an astragal top. Waist with cove molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and a rectangular case door with concave top corners. Base with ogee molding at the top, chamfered front corners, a base panel, ogee molding at the bottom and supported on ogee bracket feet. Engraved dial with roman hour numerals, arabic minute numerals and a moon phase dial in the lunette. Eight day works.

This important new title discusses the origins, style and development of domestic brass dial clocks made between the early seventeenth and the end of the eighteenth centuries. The book provides a detailed examination of eight day and thirty-hour clocks with hundreds of illustrated examples of longcase, bracket, lantern derivatives, hook-and-spike and hooded clocks. It examines the development and distribution of each, with a complete re-examination of prototype thirty-hour clockwork and the work of clocksmiths, with a detailed discussion on the recognition of styles of the various regions/countries. Some of these aspects are discussed here for the first time. This new title will have a wide appeal as the author assumes no prior knowledge of the subject from his reader and concerns himself exclusively with a discussion of accessible clocks, not the rare museum pieces so often featured in other horological publications. He concentrates mainly on regional types, but also includes a very small number of London clocks in order that comparisons may be made, and uses examples from all over Britain, including Scotland and Ireland, and many from America.

Cherry tall-case clock. The hood has a cove molded flat top and a rectangular glazed door. Waist with ogee molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and a rectangular case door. Base with cove molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and ovolo molding at the bottom, supported on a molded base. Brass dial with roman hour numerals, ornament in the spandrels, and an oval full-length portrait of a Native American holding a bow and arrow with "AMERICA" inscribed at his feet in the lunette. Inside the chapter ring there are two oval three-quarter portraits of a man and woman.

Brass dial clock face with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals. Opening in the lunette for moon phase disk (missing). Inside the chapter ring there is an engraved seconds dial (hand missing), a calendar aperture (disk missing), set against an engraved landscape depicting an allegorical scene. The dial is signed "D Rittenhouse Philadelphia." Eight day works (missing).

Walnut tall-case clock. The hood has a molded broken-scroll pediment terminating in carved roundels with an elaborately carved rococo cartouche at the center, two turned and carved urn urn-and-flame finials on fluted plinths, applied scrolls, leaves and a central shell in the tympanum, a molded arch above the door, free-standing fluted columns at the four corners, and a glazed door with an astragal top. Waist with cove molding at the top, fluted and carved quarter columns with brass capitals and bases at the front corners, carved ornament below the quarter columns, and a case door with a carved and shaped top with a carved shell motif at the top. Base with cove and ovolo molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, a base panel with shaped sides, ogee molding at the bottom and supported on spurred ogee bracket feet. Composite brass dial with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals, applied cast ornament in the spandrels, and a moon phase dial in the lunette. Inside the chapter ring there is a calendar aperture, an applied seconds dial, punched ornament, and an applied name plaque engraved "Jacob Godshalk Towamencin." Eight day movement.

Tall-case clock. The hood has an ogee molded broken-scroll pediment terminating in carved roundels, with three turned and carved urn-and-flame finials on plinths, a molded arch above the door, sidelights with astragal tops, free-standing fluted columns at the four corners, and a glazed door with an astragal top. Waist with ogee molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and a case door with a shaped top. Base with ogee and ovolo moldings at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, an applied base panel with porringer corners, ogee molding at the bottom and supported on ogee bracket feet. Composite brass dial with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals, applied cast ornament in the spandrels and lunette, a moon phase dial in the lunette and the inscription "Duncan Beard Appoquinimink." Inside the chapter ring there is a seconds dial with an engraved compass motif at the center, a calendar aperture, and engraved ornament consisting of vines and flowers. Eight day movement.

Walnut tall-case clock. The hood has a molded broken-scroll pediment terminating in carved pinwheels with a central keystone, a molded arch above the door, free-standing turned columns at the front corners and a glazed door with an astragal top. Waist with cove molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and a case door with a shaped top. Base with cove and ogee moldings at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, an applied base panel with a shaped top, ogee molding at the bottom and supported on ogee bracket feet. Composite brass dial with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals, applied cast allegorical figures in the spandrels, and a moon phase dial in the lunette. Inside the chapter ring there is a seconds dial, a calendar aperture, and an applied name plaque engraved "Adam Brant New Hanover." Eight day movement.

Walnut tall-case clock. The hood has a molded arch pediment with a molded arch above the door, free-standing fluted columns at the front corners and a glazed door with an astragal top. Waist with ogee molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, and a case door with a shaped top. Base with ogee and ovolo molding at the top, fluted quarter columns at the front corners, an applied base panel with shaped corners, and ogee molding at the bottom. Composite brass dial with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals, applied cast ornament in the spandrels and lunette and an applied name boss engraved "Benjn Rittenhouse Worcester" in the lunette. Inside the chapter ring there is an applied seconds dial, a calendar aperture, and an applied plaque with the inscription "Tempus est edax rerum." [Time is the devourer of all things] Eight day movement.

Walnut tall-case clock. The hood has a ogee molded flat pediment with a molded sarcophagus top, three urn-and-spire finials on plinths, central finial flanked by blind fret, sidelights with astragal tops, turned three-quarter columns at front corners, and a glazed door with a square opening. Waist with cove molding at the top and a case door with an astragal top and an oval peephole. Base with ovolo molding at the top, ovolo molding above the baseboard, shaped cutouts in the baseboard, and supported on bun feet. Composite brass dial with applied chapter ring with roman hour numerals and arabic minute numerals, and applied cast ornament in the spandrels. Inside the chapter ring there is an applied seconds dial and a calendar aperture. The bottom of the chapter ring is engraved "John Richardson." Eight day movement.